Who has the best beard in the world?

May 26, 2009 12:00:00 AM PDT

The Chinstrap, the Garibaldi, the Van Dyck, the Royale. Those were just a few of the facial hair styles on display at the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championships, held in Anchorage, Alaska, over the weekend. But none of them could match "The Snowshoe," a 20-inch, multi-colored beard woven into the shape of a snowshoe that earned David Traver, 43, the title: Best Beard in the World.Traver, an Anchorage native, was the hometown favorite. He beat out hundreds of other contestants at the competition, which sometimes looked like a cross between a ZZ Top video and a Civil War battle reenactment. As the winner, Traver received a commemorative gold pan and a salmon fishing trip.